There was uproar in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (August 23, 2025) after a video of a man reaching the District Magistrate (DM) office in Lakhimpur Kheri, carrying the dead body of his newborn in a bag. He alleged that the private hospital where his wife had been admitted kept raising the fee and delayed delivery, leading to the death. Opposition lashed out at the State government over the dismal condition of healthcare services and lack of regulatory oversight.
“I admitted my wife to the hospital here (Lakhimpur Kheri). They (hospital management) said normal delivery would cost ₹10,000 and C-section delivery would cost ₹12,000. As my wife’s pain increased, the charges kept increasing. By 2.30 a.m., I somehow managed to arrange the money and told them that if it was beyond their capacity, I should take my wife somewhere else. But they kept demanding more money. I told them to start the delivery and I would arrange for the rest of the money, but they clearly said that ‘first give the money, only then the operation will take place’... Meanwhile, my child died. Then they threw my wife on the road. We went to a surgeon... After that I went to the DM and he came here with me. I brought my dead child in a bag,” said Vipin Gupta, the father, speaking to local media persons. The incident occurred on Friday (August 22) at a private hospital named Goldar Hospital.
